Stephen P. Perna

Stephen P. Perna can surely be called an agent of change. In 2007, Steve and his partner Matthew Frederick created PernaFrederick, envisioning a full-service commercial real estate company that would represent tenants and owners, provide real estate investment opportunities, and ultimately, establish its own investment portfolio. He joined Philadelphia’s Arden Group in 1995 when it owned only one office building. During his 11-year tenure as Senior Vice President and Director of Arden Real Estate Services, he built the firm’s leasing division from the ground up into a dynamic and successful team. His first hire was Matt Frederick. The two worked together for ten years before venturing out on their own to start PernaFrederick in 2007.

Steve entered the industry with CB Commercial Real Estate, the world’s largest commercial real estate firm, and then The Arden Group, where he was an active player in an era of immense change for the Philadelphia skyline. In 1987, he helped one of the city’s oldest law firms, Dilworth Paxson Kalish & Kauffman, move from its home of 40 years on South Broad Street in Philadelphia into close to 150,000 square feet in the then brand new Mellon Bank Center. Most recently, he represented the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market in its new 40-year lease for a brand new, 660,000-square foot, state-of-the-art food biotech market and distribution center in Philadelphia (completion in 2010).

Steve is a licensed Pennsylvania broker with a Bachelors Degree in Marketing from Temple University. Over the course of his career, Perna has sold or leased over seven million square feet of space in Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Florida, and Delaware. Major listings that he has worked on in Philadelphia include: 7 Penn Center; Two Penn Center; The North American Building and Four Echelon Plaza. Steve credits his success to his integrity, broad experience, and his ability to develop long-term relationships and build cohesive partnerships. He has acquired a keen sense for understanding his clients’ needs and developing creative, cost-effective solutions that work for everyone involved in the transaction. Steve sits on the board of the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation and is a member of UNICO, an Italian American cultural and charitable organization. Steve, a Philadelphia native, resides in Wynnewood, PA.